The Power of Presentation

Easter is just around the corner.  Churches will welcome "seekers" who normally do not attend church on a regular basis.  Some will come just to say they attended on Easter, perhaps to appease their conscience or their family.  Some might even come to show off their new clothes.  My hope is that many will come because they have a genuine hunger and thirst for God.

Statistics tells us that 56% of Americans would attend a church service if invited by a friend. (Lifeway Research)  I can't help but remember 9/11 and the impact it had on church attendance in the days and weeks that followed this tragic event.  However, it wasn't long till many people went back to their normal routines.  It seems that every time our nation faces a crisis, we see a spike in church attendance.  Could it be that as a nation we only seek God in times of desperation or financial hardship?  Sadly, some will come to church this Sunday searching for help…but will they receive that help when they come?

Will they see Jesus?  Will they hear the true Gospel?  Or will they just hear a few songs, a positive message, drink a hot cup of coffee and go home unchanged?

Perhaps, the church as a whole, could do a better job in the way we present the Gospel of Jesus.  Even Jesus knew THE POWER OF PRESENTATION.  We remember Palm Sunday at His triumphant entry to Jerusalem.  This was the day that Jesus was unveiled to the city - in preparation for His death on the cross - He gave very specific instructions to His followers.  Jesus didn't enter into the city in just any old way.  He had an exact time, and exact place and an exact method for His presentation.

1. Jesus entered into Jerusalem on the 10th day of nissan, the Passover month.  On this day, Jewish families took a lamb and inspected it to make sure it had no defect.  Then on the 14th day of the month, the Passover lamb was to be placed on the altar in the morning and slaughtered by the priest in the afternoon.  Isn't this exactly what happened to Jesus?  At the same time that lambs were being killed all over the city, He was placed on the cross in the morning and He died in the afternoon.
2. Jesus entered into Jerusalem riding the borrowed colt of a donkey.  He did this to show the people that He had not come as a royal dignitary or to start a political revolution.  His ways are not man's ways.  Kings and princes would have rode in on expensive horses, but Jesus came to us in HUMILITY - laying aside all His royalty so that He could stoop low enough to touch lepers, beggars, abused women, lunatics, criminals, social outcasts and sinners like you and me!
3. Jesus entered into Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a high pinnacle that overlooks Jerusalem from the east.  Jesus sat down there a few days later, just before His crucifixion, and taught about His Second Coming.  It is also the spot where His feet last touched the ground before His ascension.  Jesus wanted us to know that just as He entered the city from the east during His earthly ministry, he will enter it again from that direction when He returns in all His glory!

Thousands of dollars will be spent on PROMOTION, PAGEANTS, PROGRAMS, PRIZES and PRESENTATIONS for Easter.  Perhaps we believe we can reach bigger crowds with those tools.  Perhaps we can.  However, we must remember that after the crowds saw the waving palm branches and heard the noisy hosannas, they still asked, "Who is this?" (Matthew 21:10).  A wonderful church service isn't enough!  No matter how loud the praise, there is only one thing that will answer this question…and it's the PREACHING of the PURE and SIMPLE GOSPEL!  We must show them JESUS!

• He is the SPOTLESS LAMB of GOD.  He didn't deserve to die, but He willingly gave His life to pay for our sins!
• He is the HUMBLE, LOVING SAVIOR who came to this world not to be served but to serve - and to demonstrate to us the unfathomable love of the Father!
• He is the KING of GLORY who will one day return to earth to judge both the living and the dead and determine who will and who will not receive eternal life.

Jesus in not just another way to God.  He is the ONLY WAY to God.  We must be clear and concise on this!  Many people today are confused about who Jesus is.  Some think He is a great prophet who deserves respect alongside Buddha, Muhammad and the Dalai Lama.  Others think He is nothing more than a "force of love" that accepts everyone regardless of their sin and doesn't require repentance.  Still others imagine Him to be an American politician riding on a Democratic donkey or a Republican elephant.  HE IS NONE OF THESE THINGS.

JESUS IS LORD!

There's nothing wrong with putting on a big production, promotion or program for Easter or any church event…as long as we SHOWCASE a GLORIOUS JESUS to a lost world.  He must be INTRODUCED properly.